Coating machine



Ncw. 5, 1929. F. H. WOOLF COATING MACHINE Filed May 21 1924 5Sheets-Sheet l in! e 5477/ Mm H. WOQL OATING MACHINE Filed May 1924 5Sheets-Sheet 2 NOV; 5, 1929. WQQLF 1,734,103

COATING MACHINE Filed May 21., 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Nmu 5, 1929, F, H.WOOLF 1,734,103

COATING MACHINE Filed May 21, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 F. H. WOOLF COATINGMACHINE Nov. 5, 1929.

Filed May 21-, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 [due/425 5 57/7,?

Patented v Nov. 5, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK H. WOOLF, OFELGIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T SAVAGE BROS. (30., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ACORPORATION OF ILLINOIS COATING MAOHINE Application filed May 21,

My invention relates to that general class of devices known as coatingmachines, espe- .cially intended for covering confections, nuts or otherarticles, with a coating or icing of chocolate or the like.

The invention has among its objects the production of a device ofthekind described, which is simple, compact, durable, convenient, efficientand satisfactory for use whereever found applicable. a

The device has as an object the coating of the article individually andthence discharging them in a substantially dry condition with all excesscoating removed, ready for packing and shipment.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown anddescribed will be obvious to those skilled in the art from thedisclosures herein given. a

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangementand combination of parts herein shown and described, and moreparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like orcorresponding parts Fig. l is a side elevation of the preferred type ofmachine; Y

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the reverse side thereof; i

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the machine; Fig. 4 is asectiontaken'substantially on the lined-4 of Fig.6; Fig. 5 is a sectiontaken the line 5-5 of Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is a section taken substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail vibrating means; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectiona'l detail showing the means forregulating the thickness of coating. 4

Referring to the drawings, wherein I- have illustrated the preferredembodiment of my mechanism, 1 indicates a frame of the desired size,shape and material having an enclosure 01'' casing 2 at the upper endthereof. A hopper or magazine 3 is arranged adjacent one end of theenclosure 2 and into which a supsubstantially on m showing the belt1924.- Serial No.- 714,959.

ply of nuts, confections or other articles are .the discharge end or thebelt 6 is a second belt 7, traveling in the same direction andpreferably at a slightly increased speed. The belts 6 and 7 arepreferably reticulated or have openings theretnrough so that any excesscoating material may drop through the belt into suitable receptaclestherefor.

A roller 8 is arranged at the discharge end of the belt 7, travelling ata speed greater than said belt. A belt 9 is arranged below the belt 7 atits discharge end, the same leading to any suitable point where thearticles may be packed for shipment. As shown (see Fig. 6), the pulleyor roller 9 for the conveyer 9 15 adjustably mounted on the frame sothat it may be raised or lowered as desired, depending on the confectionbeing made. Generally, when making bars,I prefer to drop the roll 25below the point that it is normally used in some of the otherconfections; and I may also mention that when making bars I prefer toremove roller 8.

Beneath the carrier belts is arranged a system of reservoirs including asupply tank 10 for holding the supply of coating material, thisreceptacle or tank being preferably steam-jacketed as shown, and ifdesirable the steam jackets may be arranged beneath other clearlydescribed and travel slowly therealong under the discharge opening ofthe trough 4 so that the coatmg material covers the articles, the excesscoating. dropping into the tank 10.

In order to regulate the thickness of the coating, an apron 15 isarranged beneath the upper side of the belt 6, as shown more clearlymFig. 8, this apron being hinged at one end and cooperating with aneccentrically mounted shaft 16 at its other end. By partially rotatingthe shaft 16 the free end of the apron will be moved toward or from theupper portion of the belt 6. As ha been described in my previous Patent,1,460,189 of June 26, 1923, the raising of the apron tends to retard theflow of the coating material,

which is in a liquid stateand flowing slowly, thereby increasing thethickness of coating, and when depressed the flow of the material isaccelerated, as the material escape faster through the meshes of thebelt, resulting in a thinner coat.

The articles travel slowly along the belt 6 and have their coatingpartially hardened and then pass onto the faster traveling belt 7,whence they travel over the rotating shaft or bar 8 and are then thrownonto the belt 9. The roll 8, traveling at a greater speed than the belt7, engages the coated articles and draws the coating into a ridge at theline of contact therewith and strings it out as it throws the articlesonto the belt 9, thus producing a hand-dipped appearance of the coating.The receptacle 17 is connected up with the pipe line through the pump sothat the coating dropped thereinto is not wasted, but is returned to thetank 10.

In order to insure that all of the excess coating from the articles andfrom the belt will be removed to its fullest extent, I have found itdesirable in some cases to vibrate the belt 7 vertically during itstravel. For this purpose I have arranged a shaft 18, preferablynon-circular in cross section, as shown in Fig. 7, so that when saidshaft is rotated during the forward travel of the belt, it willintermittently lift the belt and permit it to drop back, causing avibratory movement of the same. One or more rolls 19 may be arranged oreccentrically mounted at opposite sides of the shaft 18 to engage withthe belt and adjust or limit the amount of vibratory movement of thebelt. 'hen the rolls 19 are in the position shown in Fig. 7, the beltwill have its greatest amount of viln'atory movement and when the rollsare shifted the movement will be decreased.

Feeding mechanism 20 is arranged to cooperate with the supply hopper soas to eject the articles therefrom onto the belt 6. This feed mechanismcomprises a. plurality of plungers or rods 21 and 21 arranged in a rowtransversely across the hopper, the alternate plungers being connectedby the bars 22 and 22, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4, so that thealternate plungers are actuated in unison.

Two series of plungers are thereby provided, 21 and 21, respectively,and actuatin arms 23 and 23 are connected to the rod s 22 and 22 so asto alternately actuate the series of plungers. The arms 23 and 23 areeccentrically mounted and driven by a shaft 24: in any suitable manner.The plun ers are cupped or recessed at their free ends as at 25 so as tomore easily engage the articles within the hopper. Each plunger isintended to engage a single article as they are moved upwardly throughthe hopper, the series of plungers discharging these articles in spacedrelationonto the belt 6, whereby they are passed beneath the dischargeopening of the trough, are coated, and thence carried away, having theirexcess coating removed and are sufliciently hardened or dried duringtheir travel.

As most clearly shown in Fig. 6, there is in reality a hopper dividedinto two hoppers, a main hopper in which the articles are placed and anauxiliary hopper which receives and contains a limited amount of thearticles and feeds them to the plungers. The hopper is provided with across partition 31 and with a shelf 32 adapted to receive a limitedamount of articles. A feeding plate 33 is arranged in the hopper 3 andslidable between the bottom 35 and the top of the partition 31.

The feeding plate is actuated by bars, as shown, bar 22. Assuming thatthe hopper 3 contains the articles, as for exam ple peanuts or the like,the feeding plat carries a limited number of these up :11?

they fail over intothe auxiliary hopp through whichthe rods 21 and 21'project: If the auxiliary hopper is full, then they simply ride back andforth on the feed plate until the auxiliary hopper is not too full toreceive them. This prevents the entire con tents of the hopper 3 frombeing fed at one time toward the path of the feeding plungers or rods.It is found by providing this auxiliary feeding mechanism that a moreuniform operation of the machine is secured.

Any suitable drive mechanism may be arranged to interconnect the movingparts of the machine so that they operate in unison in a predeterminedmanner, and suitable clutches or other means may be interposed atvarious points of the drive so as to further control the movementthereof.

\Vhile any suitable apparatus may be provided for discharging thechocolate coating or icing on the confection, my preferred constructionis adjustable and so arranged that the coating discharged may becontrolled to a very fine point. As shown, 26 represents a slide orbracket on each side of the inachine which slidably or adjustablycarries the coating receptacle or trough which receives its supply fromthe discharge pipe 13. The particular receptacle shown is supported bythe rods 27 extending across the machine, and is provided withadjustable sides 28, 29,

both sides being preferably adjustably and arranged so that the coatinmay be discharged from either side in ependently or from both at thesame time. As shown, the bottom 31 is so arranged or inclined that the mcoating will tend to settle and flow out through the discharge openings5 and not cool 1 ed to any extent. The size of the openings 7 may beregulated by adjusting the members 30. This adjustment feature issomewhat similar to that shown in my patent referred to. For coatingpeanuts, as for example with a heavy coat, I generally prefer to adjustthe discharge trough or receptacle 27 so that it is substantially asindicated in the full my lines in Fig. 6. However, when coating raisinsor the like and applying a light coat, I generally adjust same asindicated in the dotted lines. it should be kept in mind, however, thatin the matter of adjustment of the receptacle on the brackets 26, aswell as the adjustment of the sides 28 and 29 controlling, the dischargefrom the trough, the various adjustments will depend to some extent onthe articles to be coated, coating ma- 7 3e terial used, temperatures,etc.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that variousimmaterial modifica tions may be made in the same without departing fromthe spirit of my invention;

hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exactform, construction, arrangement and combination of parts here in shownand described, or uses mentioned.

."What I claim as new and desire to secure 4w by Letters Patent is:

1. In a coating machine, a receptacle having a discharge opening forcoating material, conveyor means therebelow to receive the ar ticles andmove them past said opening, a rog5 tary shaft non-circular incross-section engaging said carrier means to vibrate the same verticallyso as to shake ofi' the excess coating from said articles, and rodsengagin said carrier means and adjustably vertica ly to move the samerelatively to said non-circular shaft so as to control the amount ofsaid vibratory movement.

2., in a coating machine, a receptacle having a discharge opening forcoating material,

conveyor means therebelow to receive the articles and move thempast saidopening, a rd tary shaft non-circular in crosssection engaging saidcarrying means to vibrate the same vertically so as to shake ofi theexcess coating to from said articles, and rods mounted eccentricallybeneath said carrier for controlling the amount of said vibratorymovement.

in testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name,

at FRANK H. wootr,

